Border Patrol chief says 'we will not back down from the cartel'

(NewsNation) — Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks exclusively told NewsNation his bureau is acceptable for a imaginable onslaught from the cartel contempt record-low crossings and decreased fentanyl seizures.

Banks explained to NewsNation that the much the U.S. puts security on the confederate border, the much postulation is being pushed to the coast.

Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem has Coast Guard and destroyers monitoring and patrolling those areas.

Per U.S. Customs and Border Protection, full fentanyl seizures crossed March and April totaled 1,371 pounds. During the past fiscal year, 21,900 pounds were seized. It is the archetypal clip successful astir 3 years that immoderate period has had little than 1,000 pounds of fentanyl seizures.

Due to the United States' improved borderline security, Banks says the cartels are looking to postulation fentanyl and different hard narcotics into different areas much frequently, specifically Canada, Central and South America and Europe.

"Instead of being pushed northbound into the United States, they're looking for caller markets, due to the fact that we're closing the marketplace connected the United States," Banks said.

Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Tuesday day the largest fentanyl bust successful U.S. history, with 11.5 kilos (25.4 pounds) seized, astir 3 cardinal fentanyl pills.

It was a multiagency cognition headed by the DEA, which saw 16 radical arrested, including high-ranking Sinaloa cartel subordinate Alberto Salazar Amaya, who was surviving illegally successful Salem, Oregon.

The drugs were recovered successful Albuquerque, New Mexico, arsenic good arsenic Phoenix, Arizona, and Utah.

“More arrests are coming, I warrant you that," Bondi said successful a media league Tuesday.

"And these dealers, these sellers, these street-level sellers, amended look out, due to the fact that we volition not beryllium negotiating with you. We volition bring you to justice, and we volition not halt until this poison is disconnected our streets successful our country."